A Super Bowl Party for Meatball Maniacs

Gear up for the big game with meatball recipes and tips from New York's Meatball Shopby Carolina Santos-Neves

Clockwise from left: Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow of the Meatball Shop, the Shop's Mini Buffalo Chicken Balls, and their Veggie Balls.

I
t's that time of year again, when you start thinking about what to make for your Super Bowl party. Last year you probably made wings. The year before that you probably made…wings. Those tasty nuggets have been a go-to for football parties since the early 1960s, when a Buffalo bar purportedly invented the Buffalo chicken wing. Well, it's 2012, for goodness' sake, time for a change!

The Meatball Shop

What to make instead? Meatballs are riding a popularity wave again, so we turned to the Meatball Shop's chefs, Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow, for advice. After successfully opening three restaurants in the New York area, the duo published The Meatball Shop Cookbook, and they have a thing or a hundred to say about how best to feed feisty football fans.

So this year, go about game-day business as usual. Chill some beers, put out bowls of chips and guac, and follow these meatball pros' recipes and tips. Just be sure to let your guests know that they'd better come hungry.

Holzman recommends making meatballs a couple of days before the big game. They can be frozen up to two months in advance—but make sure they are fully cooked first, and well wrapped in plastic and foil. (Never freeze them raw, as they will not hold together when thawed.) To reheat, you've got several options. Simply microwave them for 4 minutes, or 2 minutes longer if frozen. Or, preheat the oven to 300°F and cook the meatballs in a covered pan with 3 tablespoons of water for about 20 minutes.

Meatball Hero Sandwiches

You can't meet everyone's dietary needs, but you should assume a few guests won't eat red meat, so double up on batches of vegetarian and chicken meatballs, and be sure to replenish the platters as they disappear. Those watching their diet will appreciate the lentil-based veggie balls, which are packed with fiber and protein. Any fish or chicken meatball recipes are going to be much healthier than a lamb ball. And use a tomato sauce, which is fairly healthy, instead of a cream-based sauce.

Stick a Fork in Them

These party delights are fairly mess-free, unlike those sticky wings. If you are serving them mini-sized or passed, then offer them with toothpicks; but if you are going for the regular-sized balls, Chernow recommends giving each of your guests a fork and telling them to "get down and dirty."

Be a Halftime Hero

Chernow is a big proponent of sandwiching meatballs in a hero sub. "If you really wanna get crazy with it, you can go and buy a huge, long hero, stuff it, and then just cut the hero in pieces," he says. "People will really love you forever."

When crafting a meatball sandwich, follow these simple rules:
1. Make sure there's an even ratio between bread, main ingredient, garnish, and sauce.
2. The bread is just as important as the stuffing. It should be crusty on the outside, soft on the inside. The Meatball Shop guys also recommend trying focaccia.
3. It's important to keep the sandwich intact, so spread sauce over the meat and not under it, which would make the bread soggier.
4. There's no need to go crazy with toppings. They recommend adding potato chips on top of the meatballs for crunch.
5. Keep time short between construction and consumption.
6. Size is key. A big sandwich may look delicious, but it has to fit in your mouth, so make sure it's no more than 2 ½ inches high.

Life After the Party

While chances are small that you'll have any leftover meatballs, if you do, the chefs recommend cutting them up and making meatball frittatas or salads. (And if you have a dog, meatballs are, of course, a four-legged favorite.)